Romans · Chapter 11

[ edit] Therfore I ſeye, Wher God haþ putt awey his peple? Ferr be it. Forwhy and I am an Iſraelyte, of þe ſeed of Abraham, of þe lynage of Beniamyn. Þe Lord putte not awey his peple, þe which he bifore wiſte. Wher ȝe witen not, in Helye what þe ſcripture ſeiþ? How he preieþ God aȝens Iſrael, Lord, þei han ſlayn þi prophetis, þei han vndirdoluen þin auteris, and I am left aloone, and þei ſeken my lyf. But what ſeiþ Goddis anſwere to him? I haue left to me ſeuene þouſand of men, þat han not bowid her knees bifore Baal. So þerfore and in þis tyme, þe relyfs ben mad ſaaf, vp þe cheſynge of þe grace of God. For if bi þe grace of God, now not of workis; ellis grace is not now grace. What þerfore?

Iſrael haþ not getyn þat þat he ſouȝte, forſoþe eleccioun haþ getyn; ſoþli þe oþere ben blyndid. As it is writun, He ȝaf to hem a ſpirit of compunccioun, yȝen þat þei ſe not, and eeris, þat þei heeren not, til in to þis day. And Dauiþ ſeiþ, Be þe boord of hem maad bifore hem in to a gnare, and in to catchinge, and in to ſclaundre, and into ȝeldinge aȝen to hem. Be þe yȝen of hem maad derke, þat þei ſe not; and incroke algatis þe bak of hem. Þerfore I ſeye, Wher þei offendiden ſo, þat þei ſchulden falle doun? Fer be it. But bi þe gilt of hem heelþe is maad to heþene men, þat þei ſue hem.

Þat if þe gilt of hem ben richeſſis of þe world, and þe menuſinge, or makinge leſſe, of hem ben richeſſis of heþen men, hou moche more þe plente of hem? Soþli I ſeye to ȝou, heþen men, hou longe ſoþli I am apoſtle of heþen men, I ſchal honoure my mynyſterie, or ſeruyſe, if on ony maner I ſtire my fleiſch for to folwe, and I make ſumme of hem ſaaf. Forſoþ if þe loſſe of hem is reconſilinge of þe world, what takinge vp, no but lyf of deede men? For if þe ſacrifiſe, or litel part of taſtynge, be hooly, and þe hool gobet; and if þe roote is hooly, and þe braunchis.

Þat if ony of þe braunchis ben broken, þou ſoþli, whanne þou were a wylde olyue tre, art ſett yn among hem, and ert maad felowe of þe roote, and of fatneſſe of þe olyue tre, nyle þou glorie aȝeyns þe braunchis. For if þou glorieſt, þou beriſt not þe roote, but þe roote þee. Þerfore þou ſeiſt, Þe braunchis ben broken, þat I be yn ſett. Wel, for vnbileue þe braunchis ben broken; forſoþ þou ſtondiſt by feiþ. Nyle þou ſauere hiȝe þing, but drede þou, forſoþe if God ſparide not þe kyndely braunchis, leſt perauenture he ſpare not þee.

Þerfore ſe þe goodneſſe, and feerſneſſe of God; ſoþli feerſneſſe in to hem þat felden doun, ſoþli þe goodneſſe of God in þee, if þou ſchalt dwelle in goodneſſe, ellis and þou ſchalt be kitt down. But and þei ſchulen ben ynſett, if þei ſchulen not dwelle in vnbileue. Forſoþ God is myȝty, eftſoone for to ynſette hem. Forwhi if þou ert kitt doun of þe kyndely wylde olyue tre, and aȝens kynde ert inſeet in to a good olyue tre, how moche more þei þat by kynde, ſchulen be ynſett to her olyue tre? Forſoþe, briþeren, I nyle ȝou vnknowe þis myſterie, þat ȝe ben not wyſe to ȝou ſilf; for blyndneſſe haþ felde of party in Iſrael, til þe plente of heþen men entriden, and ſo al Iſrael ſchulde be maad ſaaf.

As it is writun, He ſchal come of Syon, þat ſchal delyuere, and turne awey þe vnpite of Jacob. And þis teſtament to hem of me, whanne I ſchal do awey her ſynnes. Soþli vp þe goſpel enemyes for ȝou, forſoþe mooſt dereworþe vp þe eleccioun for fadris. Soþli þe ȝiftis and clepynge of God ben wiþouten forþinkynge, or reuokynge. Soþli as ſum tyme and ȝe bileueden not to God, now forſoþe ȝe han gete mercy for þe vnbileue of hem; ſo and þes now bileueden not in to ȝoure mercy, þat and þei gete mercy. Forſoþe God cloſide to gidere alle þingis in vnbileue, þat he haue mercy on alle.

A! þe hiȝneſſe, or depneſſe, of þe richeſſe of wyſdom and kunnynge of God; hou incomprehenſyble ben his domes, and his weyis vnſerchable. Forſoþe who knew þe witt of God, or who was his councelour? or who formere ȝaf to hym, and it ſchal be quyt aȝen to him? For of him, and by him, and in hym ben alle þingis. To him honour and glorie in to worldis. Amen.